From 45,000 to 30,000 people
London: Illegal crossings of the English Channel are declining
January 2, 2024, 1:19 a.m
In 2022, around 45,000 migrants will cross the English Channel to seek refuge in Britain. In 2023 there will be thousands less. This is an important success for Britain’s Home Secretary. He draws a comparison to Europe.
The number of refugees who illegally crossed the English Channel between France and Great Britain last year fell by a third, according to the British government. As the Home Office explained, almost 30,000 migrants arrived in small boats on the southeast coast of England in 2023. In the previous year the number was a record 45,000 people; In 2021, around 28,500 illegal crossings were counted.
Great Britain’s Home Secretary James Cleverly called the published balance sheet an “important success”. “While the number of people entering Europe illegally is rising, the number of people coming to the UK illegally is falling,” he explained.
Immigration has long been a key political issue in Britain. It is also likely to be one of the main campaign topics in the parliamentary elections this year. Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has repeatedly promised to “stop” the boats of illegal migrants.
Every year tens of thousands of people attempt dangerous crossings in small boats across the English Channel from France to Great Britain. In November 2021, 27 migrants died in a boat accident. It was the worst accident of its kind on the English Channel to date.